Aya Ueto facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Aya Ueto
上戸 彩
Ueto attending the iPhone 3GS launch event at the SoftBank flagship store, June 2009
Born	(1985-09-14) September 14, 1985 (age 39) Nerima, Tokyo, Japan
Occupation	Actress singer television personality
Years active	1999–present
Spouse(s)	Hiroyuki Igarashi ​ (m. 2012)​
Children	3
Musical career
Genres	Pop pop rock
Instruments	Vocals
Labels	Flight Master Pony Canyon
Associated acts	Z-1

Aya Ueto (上戸 彩, Ueto Aya, born September 14, 1985) is a famous Japanese actress, singer, and TV personality. She started her journey in 1997 by winning a special prize in the Japan Bishōjo Contest. After that, she joined an agency called Oscar Promotion and began taking lessons in singing, dancing, and acting.

In 1999, Aya Ueto became part of a girl group named Z-1. The group later broke up in 2002. That same year, Ueto started her solo music career. She released her first song, "Pureness". Since then, she has released five studio albums and many popular songs.

Aya Ueto started acting in 1999 in a thriller movie called Satsujinsha: Killer of Paraiso. In 2001, she gained a lot of attention for her role in the TV drama 3-nen B-gumi Kinpachi-sensei. Her acting helped her get many main roles and advertising deals. This made her one of the most recognized faces in Japan. She has won several awards for her acting, including two Television Drama Academy Awards.

She has also starred in big movies like Azumi (2003) and its sequel Azumi 2: Death or Love (2005). She also appeared in Thermae Romae (2012), which was based on a popular manga.

Early Life and First Steps

Aya Ueto was born in Nerima, Tokyo, Japan. She has an older brother and a younger brother. When she was young, she learned piano, ballet, swimming, and gymnastics.

Aya didn't plan to become an entertainer at first. She wanted to be a pre-school teacher! However, after hearing about a friend's experience on a TV show, she decided she wanted to try it too. Her mother secretly entered her in the 7th Japan Bishōjo Contest. When she was twelve, Aya won a special jury prize. She later said she hoped to win money to buy a house for her family.

After the contest, she joined Oscar Promotion and started taking acting and singing lessons. In 1998, she joined the idol group Z-1. The group appeared on TV shows and released their first song in 1999. That same year, Aya got her first movie role in Satsujinsha: Killer of Paraiso.

Becoming a Star

In 2000, Aya Ueto played a supporting role in the drama Namida o Fuite. This show was very popular and helped her become more well-known. In 2001, she was chosen for the JVC Kōshien poster, which often helps new stars get noticed.

Later in 2001, she got a big role in the drama 3-nen B-gumi Kinpachi-sensei. She played a student facing personal challenges. This role made her very famous and earned her a Golden Arrow Award for Best Newcomer.

Solo Music Career

In 2002, Aya Ueto decided to continue her music career as a solo artist. She released her first solo song, "Pureness," in August 2002. It was a big hit, reaching number 4 on the music charts. While filming her first major movie, Azumi, she released her second song, "Kizuna". She also started her own radio show, Seventeen's Map.

In 2003, she released her third song, "Hello," and her first album, Ayaueto. She also went on her first music tour, Ueto Aya First Live Tour Pureness 2003. Her fourth song, "Message/Personal," was released around the same time her movie Azumi opened.

Acting Success

Aya Ueto won many awards for her role in Azumi. She won the Newcomer of the Year award at several ceremonies, including the Élan d'Or Awards and the Japan Academy Awards. She was also nominated for Best Actress at the Japan Academy Awards. In July 2003, she got her first main role in a TV drama, Hitonatsu no Papa e.

In 2004, Aya Ueto starred as Hiromi Oka in the live-action version of the popular manga Ace wo Nerae!. This drama earned her an award for Best Lead Actress. Her song "Ai no Tameni." was the theme song for the drama and became her best-selling single. Her album Message also became her best-selling album. By the end of 2004, Aya Ueto was known as the "CM Queen" because she had so many advertising deals.

In 2005, she appeared in the historical drama Yoshitsune and starred in the sequel to Azumi, called Azumi 2: Death or Love. She also starred in another manga adaptation, Attack No. 1. Her song "Yume no Chikara" was the theme song for this drama. She went on her second tour, Ueto Aya Live Tour 2005: Genki Hatsu Ratsū?.

Continued Career

In 2006, Aya Ueto continued to be very busy. She made a guest appearance in the anime Meitantei Conan. She released her fourth album, License. She also starred in Attention Please, which became one of her most successful dramas. This show even had two special episodes later on. In September 2006, she released her first collection of hit songs, Best of Uetoaya: Single Collection.

In 2007, Aya Ueto starred in a two-part movie about Yoshiko Ōtaka. She released a new song, "Way to Heaven," and made a guest appearance in the drama Wataru Seken wa Oni Bakari. She also starred in a remake of the Korean drama Hotelier. The theme song, "Namida no Niji," was special because it was the first time Aya helped write the lyrics. She said she felt shy about sharing her feelings before. She also went on her third tour, Ueto Aya Best Live Tour 2007 Never Ever.

Recent Work

In 2008, Aya Ueto won the Asakusa Entertainment Newcomer Prize. She also became the first actress to have her photos on official postage stamps. She continued to star in many TV dramas and hosted big events like the M-1 Grand Prix.

In 2009, Aya Ueto launched her first wedding dress collection called U Aya Ueto Dresses. She had designed tour merchandise before, but this was her first official step into fashion design. She also starred in the drama Konkatsu! and the animated film Baton. After a two-year break, she returned to music with the song "Smile for..." and her fifth album, Happy Magic: Smile Project.

In 2010, she launched more wedding dress collections. She starred in the drama Zettai Reido and made a small appearance in the movie Surely Someday. She also played a blind singer-songwriter in the TV movie Ai wa Mieru. Her drama Nagareboshi was very popular, and she won an award for Best Supporting Actress for her role. For the fifth time, Aya Ueto was named "CM Queen" because of her many advertising deals.

In 2011, she continued her role in Zettai Reido for a second season. She also appeared in the final episode of the long-running drama Wataru Seken wa Oni Bakari. She starred with Hiroshi Abe in the movie Thermae Romae (2012), which was filmed in Rome.

Family Life

Aya Ueto married Exile leader Hiro on her 27th birthday in September 2012. They welcomed their first child, a daughter, in August 2015. Their second child, a son, was born in July 2019. In June 2023, they welcomed their third child, another son.

Helping Others

In April 2011, Aya Ueto joined other actors to help people affected by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. They handed out food and supplies in the affected areas.

Friendships

Aya Ueto is good friends with TV personality and singer Becky. They have known each other since they met on the morning show Oha Star in 2000.

Discography

Studio albums

• Ayaueto (2003)
• Message (2004)
• Re. (2004)
• License (2006)
• Happy Magic: Smile Project (2009)

Filmography

Film

Key

Denotes the films that have not yet been released

Television

Key

Denotes series that has not yet aired

Title	Year	Role	Notes
Ultraman Gaia	1999	Herself (Z-1)	Episode 46
Namida o Fuite	2000	Momo Fuchigami
Shijō Saiaku no Date	2001	Shiori	Episode 20
Yome wa Mitsuboshi	2001	Mayu Shinjō
3-nen B-gumi Kinpachi-sensei	2001–2004	Nao Tsurumoto	Season 6 Season 7, episode 11 Golden Arrow Award for Newcomer of the Year Hashida Award for Newcomer of the Year TV Life Drama Grand Prix for Newcomer of the Year Nominated—Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix for Best Supporting Actress
Wataru Seken wa Oni Bakari	2002–2011	Kana Kojima	Season 6, episodes 10-15 Season 8, episode 50 Season 10, series finale
My Little Chef	2002	Nazuna Kamosawa
Kōkō Kyōshi 2003	2003	Hina Machida	Nominated—Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix for Best Supporting Actress
Hitonatsu no Papa e	2003	Marimo Mochizuki	Nominated—Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix for Best Lead Actress
Song of the Canefields	2003	Mie Hirayama
Ace o Nerae!	2004	Hiromi Oka	9 episodes 1 special The Television Drama Academy Award for Best Lead Actress Nominated—Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix for Best Lead Actress
Reikan Bus Guide Jikenbo	2004	Misaki Aoyama	Episode 3
Yoshitsune	2005	Utsubo	Nominated—Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix for Best Supporting Actress
Koto	2005	Chieko Sada/Naeko
Attack No. 1	2005	Kozue Ayuhara	Nominated—Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix for Best Lead Actress
Misora Hibari Tanjō Monogatari	2005	Young Kazue Katō
Nada Sōsō, Kono Ai ni Ikite	2005	Miki Oda
Tsubasa no Oreta Tenshitachi	2006	Nanako Komine	Episode 1
Attention Please	2006–2008	Yōko Misaki	11 episodes 2 specials Nominated—Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix for Best Lead Actress
Meitantei Conan	2006	Herself	Episode 437
Shimokita Sundays	2006	Yuika Satonaka
Ri Kouran	2007	Young Yoshiko Ōtaka
Hotelier	2007	Kyoko Odagiri
Wachigaiya Itosato	2007	Itosato
Abarenbō Mama	2007	Ayu Kawano	Nominated—Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix for Best Lead Actress
Hokaben	2008	Akari Dōmoto
Celeb to Binbō Taro	2008	Alice Mitazono	Nominated—Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix for Best Lead Actress
Konkatsu!	2009	Haruno Hida	Nominated—Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix for Best Supporting Actress
Kekkon	2009	Chikage Uehara
Zettai Reido	2010–2018	Izumi Sakuragi	22 episodes (2010-2011) TBA (2018) 1 special Nominated—Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix for Best Lead Actress (2011–2012)
Jūnen Saki mo Kimi ni Koishite	2010	Rika Onozawa
Ai wa Mieru: Zenmō Fūfu ni Yadotta Chiisana Inochi	2010	Juri Tatematsu
Nagareboshi	2010	Risa Makihara	Nominated—Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix for Best Supporting Actress The Television Drama Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
Kaneko Misuzu Monogatari: Minna Chigatte Minna Ii	2012	Misuzu Kaneko
Kuruma-isu de Boku wa Sora o Tobu	2012	Kumi Katō
Itsuka Hi no Ataru Basho de	2013–2014	Hako Komoriya	10 episodes 1 special
Hanzawa Naoki	2013–2020	Hana Hanzawa	Season 1 (2013) Season 2 (2020) Nominated—Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix for Best Supporting Actress (2013)
Hirugao: Heijitsu Gogo Sanji no Koibitotachi	2014	Sawa Sasamoto	Nominated—Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix for Best Lead Actress
I'm Home	2015	Megumi Ieji	Nominated—Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix for Best Supporting Actress
Midnight Journal: Kieta Yūkaihan o Oe! Nananenme no Shinjitsu	2018	Yuri Fujise
Taiyō o Aishita Hito: 1964 Ano Hi no Paralympics	2018	Hiroko Nakamura
Boku ga Warau to	2019	Seiko Suzuki
Tonari no Chikara	2022	Akari Nakagoshi
Hitoribocchi Hito to Hito o Tsunagu Ai no Monogatari	2023	Chiaki Uchida
The Silent Service	2024	Hiromi Ichiya

Japanese dub

Video games

Awards and nominations

Aya Ueto has won many awards for her acting and other talents. Here are some of her notable achievements:

• In 2002, she won the TV Life Drama Grand Prix for Newcomer of the Year for her role in 3-nen B-gumi Kinpachi-sensei.
• In 2003, she received the Golden Arrow Award and Hashida Award, both for Newcomer of the Year.
• In 2004, she won several "Newcomer of the Year" awards for her movie Azumi, including the Élan d'Or Award and Japan Academy Prize. She also won the Japan Academy Prize for Most Popular Performer.
• Also in 2004, she won The Television Drama Academy Award for Best Actress for Ace o Nerae!.
• In 2011, she won the Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix and The Television Drama Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Nagareboshi.
• She has also won many other awards for her style, smile, and contributions to advertising.

See also

In Spanish: Aya Ueto para niños